We are looking to purchase a new mattress in St.Louis or Kansas City area. Any recommendations? We are interested in Eastman House or Eclipse or other similar quality.
Hi anders1011,
The better options or possibilities I’m aware of in the St Louis area (subject to the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in post #6 here.
This topic may be helpful as well.
The forum list for the Kansas City area is in post #2 here.
I would be very cautious about brand shopping because you are buying a specific mattress not the brand and all manufacturers have access to the same or similar components and materials. Most of the more heavily advertised and most commonly available brands that you would recognize are the ones I would avoid anyway (see the guidelines here) and many of the better manufacturers are smaller and are only available locally or regionally (or online). The name of the manufacturer on the label also won’t tell you anything about whether a specific mattress would be a suitable choice in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) or whether there are any lower quality materials or weak links in the design that would affect the durability and useful life of the mattress. There is more about the risks of brand shopping in post #5 here and post #12 here. Outside of careful testing for PPP (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) … I would focus much more on the type and quality/durability of the materials inside a mattress (which are important to know anyway) than I would on the name of the manufacturer on the label.
Phoenix
The recommendations in Post #2 will help alot.
We are also looking at some online options. What are your thoughts on the online process of stuffing the mattress in a box to ship it?
Hi anders1011,
As long as the materials and components in a mattress are suitable for compression and roll packing and as long as they aren’t compressed for extended periods of time (more than a month or possibly two) then the reduced dimensions allow for shipping with a courier instead of a common carrier which can certainly reduce shipping costs. It can also be easier to maneuver through narrower spaces and doorways than a full size mattress.
The optional online step of the mattress shopping tutorial also includes more information about online purchases vs local purchases and also includes several links to lists that include the better online options I’m aware of as well.
Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would also make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability, durability, and value.
Phoenix